The US stock markets started the new stock market week with small results. Oil service provider Halliburton and broadcaster Manpower, among others, opened the books.

Investors in New York are also monitoring developments surrounding the coronavirus upturn in the United States.

Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow-Jones index fell 0.1 percent to 26,635 points. The broad S&P 500 also dropped 0.1 percent, to 3,220 points, and technology exchange Nasdaq climbed 0.1 percent to 10,510 points.

The outbreak in states like Florida, Arizona, Texas and California continued unabated last weekend.

Nearly 3.8 million people in the US have been affected by the virus, and more than 140,000 Americans have died as a result. With both figures, the US is by far the worst affected country by the virus outbreak.

Oil and gas supplier Halliburton also reported a substantial loss but went up about 7 percent on the stock market. The group expects a better operating result in the third quarter.

Elsewhere in the oil and gas sector, Chevron (minus 0.4 percent) reached an agreement to acquire smaller industry peer Noble Energy, which won nearly 8 percent. Chevron adds $ 5 billion in shares for that.